Description

The Attic Prison

Very often life is less than ideal. If we wait until all is right to be happy, well, then you know we may spend our lives waiting. The Lord commanded: “Be of good cheer” and he said that on that darkest night of his own life.

Around noon on September 3 1842, three men came to the door of the home of Joseph and Emma smith in Nauvoo.They were there to arrest Joseph on charges originating with the attempted assassination of former Missouri Governor Lilburn W. Boggs earlier that year.

John Boynton, a friend of the Prophet, delayed them at the door, giving Joseph a moment to slip out the back door through his cornfield and into the home of Newel K. Whitney. With no warrant, the officers searched Joseph’s home twice that day looking for him.

That night, under cover of darkness, Joseph went to the home of Edward Hunter. Hunter took Joseph through his house and threw a trapdoor that led into a little room in the attic story – so cramped and confined that Joseph couldn’t even stand up straight and there Joseph would remain in hiding for the next week, cut off from family friends and the busy active work he so loved.

Joseph was not one to be confined and made a prisoner and so would be the prophet’s lot for the next three months, in and out of hiding, unable to be with his family and lead the church in person and public as he loved to do. From the time Moroni informed Joseph that “his name should be had for good and evil among all nations, kindreds and tongues.”

Joseph had suffered unremitting persecution. Brigham Young once described Joseph’s persecution by saying, “If a thousand hounds were on this temple block, let loose on one rabbit, it would not be a bad illustration of the situation at times of the Prophet Joseph. He was hunted unremittingly.”

The Prophet Joseph said this of the persecution. “Deep water is what I want to swim in. It has all become second nature to me.”

By any standards, Joseph’s life was deep water. It was not an easy one and yet it was the Prophet Joseph who penned these glorious words so filled with faith, joy, power and encouragement:

“Brethren, shall we not go on in so great a cause, go forward and not backward; courage brethren and on, on to the victory, let your hearts rejoice and be exceedingly glad; let the earth break forth into singing; let the dead speak forth anthems of eternal praise to the King Emmanuel and on the prophet goes in section 128 pouring forth hope, encouragement and words of praise.

To me, where and when Joseph wrote those words is almost as significant as the words themselves. For you see, Joseph dictated those words September 7, 1842 while cut off from his people and confined in the cramped attic story of Edward Hunter’s home.